Sign of the Times: Convincing Hipsters to Make Their Own Clothes

Even if you're a knitter, you've got to admit that the appeal is crafty and geeky, in equal measures. High style? Not so much. But times are changing, what with the financial crisis and all.

Wool and the Gang just opened a new boutique in SoHo, hocking DIY kits for making stylish knitware, complete with wool and instructions. Where it differs is in the demographic its targeting, and the proof is in the high-style design trappings. Squint your eyes, and the place could be a pop-up store for Yohji Yamamoto.

The founders of the line, Carolyn Main and Lisa Sabrier, started the business because they were "fed up with mass consumption," and they set out to create a carbon-light, low-impact alternative.

Besides the DIY bit, the company acts like a fashion house—they produce new pieces and styles for the seasons. The stuff still isn't cheap—$189 for a poncho kit and $95 for a hat, for example. Granted, the knits are in Purvian Alpaca, but the fit and finish—well, I guess that's your own fault. But the imperfections—AKA, the screwups—are part of the appeal.